Water cooler for golf courses and the like



P 1966 H. N. GEISLER 3,270,520

WATER COOLER FOR GOLF COURSES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1965 I 1 I I I INVENTOI'? HAVEY NGEISLER FIGZ) 7 United States Patent 3,270,520 WATER COQLER FOR GOLF COURSES AND THE LIKE Harvey N. Geisler, 591 NE. th St., Pompano Beach, Fla. Filed Dec. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 511,397 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-395) This is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 378,590, filed on June 29, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to water coolers, but is more particularly directed to refrigerating or cooling water in such areas as golf courses, etc. that are remote from sources of electricity, drinking water and the normal supervision of these types of devices.

In areas where electricity is not available, refrigeration of the continuous working absorption type must perforce be used. However, the use of conventional thermostat-controlled refrigeration units have been found not to be feasible in the open such as on golf courses, because any slight movement of air or draft will extinguish the flame in the unit when the latter is at minimum use and the pressure of the gas to the flame is reduced. Such units require constant supervision in order to prevent the cooler from being out of order by not delivering cold water when a demand is made. The present invention contemplates obviating the necessity of the need for constant supervision of the water cooler by the present invention which permits the use of a continuous large flame which is never altered in size when once found to be adequate for the purpose intended thereby preventing the flame from becoming extinguished by normal air movement or drafts. This is accomplished by providing a heat transfer reservoir with a bottom heat transfer wall refrigerated by cooling coils of the refrigeration system which wall is elevated with relation to the water coils that are immersed in the water of the heat transfer reservoir whereby ice is formed. This ice which is formed and accumulated on the elevated bottom wall during the period of non-use such as at night will melt during the period of normal use by convection currents created in the fluid of the heat transfer reservoir thereby keeping the heat transfer water in a cold condition, but at no time will ice be formed at the water coils since the ice will form in the elevated portion of the reservoir removed from the water coils. Also, a metallic adhesive which has a high heat transfer gradient is used to cement the cooling coils of the refrigeration system to the aforementioned bottom wall of the heat transfer water.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a water cooler of the conventional continuous working absorption type without use of a thermostat whereby the flame effecting the refrigeration remains constant in size at all times and may not be extinguished by drafts and the like, whereby ice is formed and accumulated during the period of non-use and expended during the period of use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water cooler of the conventional continuous-working absorption type with cooling coils at a position elevated above the coils of drinking water whereby ice will form in the heat transfer reservoir at a position and removed and above from the coils of drinking water and convection currents are formed in the heat transfer water that melts the ice and transfer the cold temperature to the coils of drinking water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a conventional continuous-working absorption type water cooler with an adhesive made of copper and bronze particles, asphalt and acetone which secures the cooling coils of the refrigeration system to the elevated bottom wall of the heat transfer reservoir thereby assuring a maximum heat transfer between the refrigeration system and the reservoir.

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With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accomchanges or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golf course water cooler constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to indicate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers to a drinking fountain constructed in accordance with my invention consisting of a conventional rectangular shaped casing havin g a faucet 11 mounted on a drain 12 which is secured to a front wall 13 of the casing. A removable panel 14 permits access to the inner compartment 34 within the casing wherein the refrigeration unit 15, heat exchange reservoir 16 and bottles gas 17 are contained.

The refrigeration unit 15 which is of the conventional continuous-working absorption type forms no part of the present invention as it is shown only by way of illustration. The refrigeration unit 15 is provided with a burner (not shown) that is connected by a pipe 18 to the bottle gas to permit a continuous and constant flow of gas to the burner for the operation of the refrigeration unit 15 as is explained in detail hereinafter. It is to be noted that the refrigeration unit 15 is not provided with a thermostat and consequently will have a flame at the burner that will not vary in size and the refrigeration unit 15 will operate continuously and at the same rate at all times.

At the upper portion of the compartment 14 is the heat transfer reservoir 16 surrounded by insulation material 19 and having a rear portion 20 of its bottom wall at a higher level than the front portion 21. Within the front portion of the reservoir 16 above the bottom wall 21 is a water coil 22 having an inlet 23 extending to a source (not shown) of drinking water, the source being either a tank of water or a water main. The outlet 24 of the water coil 22 extends through the wall of the casing and is connected to the faucet 11.

The refrigeration unit 15 is provided with cooling coils 26 that are fastened to the lower surface of the bottom wall 20 of the reservoir 16. In order to secure the cooling coils 26 properly and at the same time obtain a maximum heat transfer relationship between the cooling coils 26 and the metallic bottom wall 20, an adhesive 28 having a high heat transfer gradient was used. The adhesive consists of 50% by volume of asphalt, 45% of finely ground particles of copper and bronze and 5% of acetone. A soft tacky mass is made of the above mentioned ingredients and plastered on each side of the cooling coils 2 6 as the latter are held in contact relation with the bottom wall 20. Upon drying, the mixture cements the coils 26 to the wall 20 and maintains a maximum heat transferability between the cooling coils 26 and the metal of the reservoir 16.

Water 27 contained in the reservoir 16 will extract the cold from the metal of the container 16 forming the reservoir and transfer the cold to the drinking water contained in the coils 22.

In the normal operation of my water cooler device 10, the burner of the refrigeration system 15 is maintained constantly at its highest flame commensurate with the quantity of drinking Water that will be dispensed by the device. During the night or any other period of nonuse, most of the heat transfer water 27 Will be converted into ice forming a block of ice 30 in the elevated portion of the reservoir 27 above the cooling coils 26. Since the cooling coils 26 are at a higher level than the water coils 22, the ice will form on the bottom wall 20 and no ice will be formed at the water coils 22 so that the heat transfer between the water 27 and the coils 22 will be most effectively accomplished. v

Convection currents will form in the heat transfer reservoir water 27 as best indicated by arrows in FIGURE 3 whereby water 27 will flow across the upper portion of the reservoir in the direction of the ice 30 becoming chilled, then downwardly along the surface of the ice and down to the lower portion of the reservoir 27. The coils 22 will absorb the col-d from the water 27 contacting the coils 22, thereby heating the water 27 which now rises to the upper portion of the reservoir 27. These conveotion's currents transfer the cold of the ice 30 to the drinking water in the coils 22 in a most effective manner.

Then during the daytime or the period of great demand for cold drinking Water, the combination of the melting ice which maintains the heat transfer water 27 cold and the constant operation of the refrigeration system 15 will continue to produce cold drinking water. At the end of this period of accelerated demand, the ice 30 will be just about completely melted whereby during the ensuing period of nonuse, the necessary quantity of ice 30 in the heat transfer water 27 is replenished. Once the proper size of the burner flame has been ascertained to create a suflicient amount of ice 30 to effect the above indicated results, then the water cooler will operate efficiently without any supervision except for replenishing the gas bottle 17.

Where a source of drinking water under pressure is not available the heat transfer water 27 contained in the reservoir 16 may be itself the drinking water as well as the heat transfer water. In this instance the drinking fountain 11 will be connected directly to the reservoir 27 and the coils 22 are eliminated. Periodically such as each evening, the water in the reservoir is replenished so that during the period of non-use the water will become chilled as explained hereinabove with ice 30 formed on the elevated portion of the reservoir. Then during the day, the water 27 will be drawn off in a cold condition.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A continuous working absorption type refrigerator comprising a reservoir, having a stepped bottom wall, one portion of said bottom wall being elevated with relation to the remainder of said bottom wall forming a lower and an upper bottom wall portion, a heat transfer liquid substantially filling said reservoir, a coil for drinking water immersed in said heat transfer liquid in close proximity to said lower bottom wall portion and a plurality of cooling coils in substantial contact relation with said upper bottom wall portion whereby ice is formed in said reservoir above said upper bottom wall portion and convection currents are created causing said heat transfer liquid to flow across the upper portion of said reservoir to said ice, then downwardly along the ice to become chilled toward said lower bottom wall portion where said water coils are chilled and then upwardly in the reservoir to again flow in the direction of said ice.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 taken in combination with heat transfer means cementing said cooling coils to said reservoir.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,771,433 7/1930 Copeman 62-395 1,836,073 12/1931 Hull 62-339 X 2,014,837 9/1935 Daemicke 62'437 X 2,102,171 12/1937 Vandoren 62--393 X 2,146,058 2/1939 Doyle 62-393 X 2,506,840 5/1950 Pique 62399 X 3,069,609 11/1962 West 62112 X LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTINUOUS WORKING ABSORPTION TYPE REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A RESERVOIR, HAVING A STEPPED BOTTOM WALL, ONE PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING ELEVATED WITH RELATION TO THE REMAINDER OF SAID BOTTOM WALL FORMING A LOWER AND AN UPPER BOTTOM WALL PORTION, A HEAT TRANSFER LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID RESERVOIR, A COIL FOR DRINKING WATER IMMERSED IN SAID HEAT TRANSFER LIQUID IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID LOWER BOTTOM WALL PORTION AND A PLURALITY OF COOLING COILS IN SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT RELATION WITH SAID UPPER BOTTOM WALL PORTION WHEREBY ICE IS FORMED IN SAID RESERVOIR ABOVE SAID UPPER BOTTOM WALL PORTION AND CONVECTION CURRENTS ARE CREATED CAUSING SAID HEAT TRANSFER LIQUID TO FLOW ACROSS THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID ICE, THEN DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE ICE TO BECOME CHILLED TOWARD SAID LOWER BOTTOM WALL PORTION WHERE SAID WATER COILS ARE CHILLED AND THEN UPWARDLY IN THE RESERVOIR TO AGAIN FLOW IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID ICE. 